So who's up for a BAFTA? Alicia Vikander nabbed nominations in both the leading and supporting actress categories for her work in The Danish Girl and Ex Machina, while Bridge of Spies, a Cold War spy and diplomacy drama starring Tom Hanks and directed by Steven Spielberg, emerged as a front-runner with nine nominations, matching the total for Carol, also a historical drama, but of a very different kind. Cate Blanchett stars as a woman in the midst of a difficult divorce in 1952 who meets a beautiful young shopgirl (Rooney Mara), changing her life and threatening custody of her child. Alejandro Innarritu's The Revenant, a story of Old West survival against overwhelming odds (and a bear) starring Leonardo DiCaprio, scored eight nominations, with female-centric futuristic dystopia Mad Max: Fury Road right behind with seven.

One interesting note: Director Ridley Scott was nominated for The Martian, even though the film itself didn't get a Best Film nod. Scott edged out Spotlight director Tom McCarthy. That film made the grade with a Best Film nomination, but McCarthy's direction was not chosen for the spotlight. (Sorry for the pun -- I couldn't help myself.) Spotlight, The Big Short and Trumbo have not been released in Britain yet, so Academy voters are presumably looking at screeners rather than seeing them on the big screen. That could make a difference in how those films are received.

It's also interesting that none of the British Academy's Outstanding British Film nominees cracked the overall Best Film list.

The British Academy will present its awards on Sunday, February 14 at the Royal Opera House in London. Stephen Fry is set to host the ceremony, which is broadcast in England on BBC One. In the US, you should be able to find it on BBC America, with red carpet coverage streaming on the BAFTA website.